A Hobart city councillor has been reprimanded over social media posts criticising supporters of the Palestinian flag and describing her colleagues as having a “mind virus”.
A Local Government Code of Conduct Panel found Louise Elliot breached the Hobart City Council elected member code of conduct.
The breaches related to two posts Elliot made on X on November 26, 2023, after a council debate about flying the Palestinian flag at Hobart Town Hall.
In one post, Elliot questioned how anyone could propose flying the flag of a country “governed by terrorists”.
“I truly worry about the mind virus that brings these concepts into the council chamber,” she wrote.
“It’s sickening. I will not in any way – however lame and symbolic – support terrorism, genocide and repulsive brutality.”
Hobart barrister Greg Barns lodged the complaint, arguing the posts were offensive, disrespectful and could incite hatred.
Barns asked Elliot to take the posts down, but she refused. Elliot did not deny making the posts but defended them as fair.
The panel noted she rejected the complaint, calling it an “absurd claim” that she had “incited hatred”.
She said her only intention was to make a broad political statement against Hamas, which Australia has listed as a terrorist organisation since 2022.
The three-member panel handed down its determination on April 30, 2024. It was made public this week.
The panel found Elliot caused offence, failed to show respect and acted in a way that could reflect badly on the council’s reputation.
The panel said her “mind virus” comment could suggest colleagues were “suffering from a form of mental illness or condition which could lead to a perception that those colleagues do not have the capacity to function capably or bring rational ideas to council for debate”.
The panel also found she did not clearly separate the Palestinian people and their supporters from Hamas.
“Whilst Cr Elliot was quite within her rights to post her views, she should have ensured that her words left no doubt about the Palestine people and their supporters as distinct from Hamas,” it said.
The panel dismissed two other parts of the complaint, finding no unfair treatment or bullying.
A separate panel ordered Elliot to attend a training course over the same posts in September 2025, following a complaint by fellow councillor Mike Dutta.
Elliot has rejected the findings, calling the process “an expensive farce”.
In a video posted to social media, Elliot said she had appealed the determination to the Magistrates Court.
She also alleged a later ruling on Dutta’s complaint reused parts of the earlier decision, shared a panel member and reached a contradictory finding.
